10 days into summer trip to city, 6-yr-old dies in car-auto crash

A six-year-old boy’s summer holiday in the city was cut short tragically yesterday when he succumbed to injuries sustained in a car accident near Gurunanak School in Bhandup. The boy was travelling with his parents to pay a visit to a relative. He has been identified as Harshwardan Kumbare. His father lives in Kalbadevi and works at a cloth mill. The unidentified accused fled from the spot.

According to the police, the family of the victim is originally from Sangli district. The boy came to Mumbai 10 days ago to spend time with his father during his summer vacation. The incident took place at 12.30 pm yesterday.

Speaking to MiD DAY, the father of the victim Ashok Kumbare said, “My family came to Mumbai to meet me as my son’s summer vacations had started. My wife also needed some medical treatment. I was going to take them back home on Monday.”

He added, “We stay at Kalbadevi but we were here to visit a relative. When we were in the rickshaw an Indica car hit us from the right. After the car crashed into the rickshaw, my son, who was sitting on the left, fell out. The rickshaw toppled too and we all tumbled out, falling on my son.”

Tukaram Gaikwad, a bystander who offered help to the victim’s family, said, “I was drinking juice in a nearby hotel when I heard some noise and noticed that a couple was holding a small boy, who was bleeding heavily. The rickshaw driver and the other driver were having a heated argument.

We took the boy to two other hospitals before we could get him to Agarwal Hospital in Mulund, where he died.” Assistant Police Inspector Sudhir Gadkari from Bhandup police station said, “We have managed to obtain the plate number of the vehicle of the accused. We will hopefully arrest him soon. We have not filed any charges against the rickshaw driver as it was clearly the mistake of the driver of the Indica car.”

The auto rickshaw driver sustained some minor injuries, while the parents of the victim survived with no injuries. The unidentified accused has been booked under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.